The Socorro Project:
Empowering Our Community Through Mental Health First Aid
The Socorro Project brought free Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification to communities across North Texas. Supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the project trained community members to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. The project concluded in September 2026. This page preserves what the project accomplished and shows where MHFA training remains available.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based program designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges.
Just as CPR helps a person with a medical emergency, MHFA helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis. By learning how to provide initial support, you can make a significant difference in the lives of those around you.
What the Training Provided
Through Mental Health First Aid training, participants gained the ability to:
- recognize the signs and symptoms of common mental health and substance use challenges,
- respond with confidence to a person in crisis and offer initial support,
- connect others to professional help and self-care strategies, and
- join a national community of trained First Aiders working to strengthen their communities.
Over the life of the grant, the Socorro Project
community members trained in Mental Health First Aid across North Texas, reaching first responders, people entering the first-responder pipeline, and community members in areas of high need.
of participants showed improvement in mental health knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs from before to after training.
referrals to mental health services vetted by our team as accessible in this region were provided by participants.
Mental Health Access in North Texas
The interactive dashboard below uses public data to show the region’s population and demographics, poverty levels, and the locations of mental health facilities. Use the County and Zip Code tabs to explore a specific area.
To Learn More
The Socorro Project is no longer enrolling participants, but MHFA training continues nationwide. Anyone who wants to become a certified First Aider can find an in-person or virtual course through the national provider. Mental Health First Aid certification is valid for three years, and the national provider offers an online recertification that takes under an hour: mentalhealthfirstaid.org/individuals/recertification.
This project was supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (Grant No. H79SM084358, $499,675, 2022 to 2026).